John Joseph Whelan
John Joseph Whelan was born on February 01 1864 in Rathfarnham, Dublin.
His father and mother was Paul Whelan and Bridget Golden.
As a young boy he attended the National Irish schools before moving on to the Irish Christian Brothers school in Armagh.
After leaving the school in Armagh he enrolled at St. Joseph's College in Cork, to study his classical course .
Around 1887 John met a gentleman by the name of James Marie McGuckin. James, a native of Cooleystown in Northern Ireland, had been a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate for many years and was back in Ireland on a trip when he had come across John and invited him to accompany him back to Canada.
John arrived in Canada in 1887 and entered the Oblate Novitiate at Lachine near Montreal on October 16. He was professed on October 17 1888.
After completion of a term at Lachine he was transferred to St. Joseph's Scholasticate in Ottawa, where he completed his final vows on Sunday, November 10, 1889.
In 1890 straight after completing his vows John was assigned to St. Louis College in New Westminster, British Columbia to teach.
On the 1891 British Columbia census, John was living in in the household of Bishop Paul Durieu as a Teacher.
It would be three years later on Sunday, May 27, 1894, at St. Peters Cathedral, New Westminster, British Columbia, that John was ordained by the Most Rev, Bishop Paul Durieu.
Bishop Paul Durieu was the first Bishop of New Westminster.
After his Ordination, John was assigned to Mission City and New Westminster. He spent two years between the two before being assigned to the Holy Rosary Church in Vancouver, B.C. It was during this period that a new stately stone church replaced the framed building. It was the only Catholic church at that time in Vancouver City.
On the 08 October, 1901, John's brother William Bernard Whelan, who was also a priest of the OMI, passed away in Ottawa. John officiated at the funeral, which saw Archbishop Joseph-Thomas Duhamel bless William's mortal remains.
John made a brief visit to Buffalo, New York, before moving on.
On January 01, 1902, John was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish Church in Del Rio, Texas, as the new Pastor. This new assignment to Texas would see John leave behind Canada and spend the better part of the next 44 years in various parts of the Lone Star State.
After Sixteen years of service at Sacred Heart Church, on Saturday, August 24, 1918, John was appointed Assistant Pastor at St. Mary's Church, San Antonio, Texas.
In 1926 John was briefly transferred to St. John the Baptist in Dawson, New Mexico, before being appointed as the new Pastor of the Holy Family Church, Roy, New Mexico, on Tuesday, November 29, 1927.
At the age of 74 having spent the last Eleven years in Roy, John became the Chaplain of Moye Military Academy in Castoville, Texas, on January 01, 1938.
A couple of years later and still going strong John had a brief stint as Chaplain of Our Lady of the Lake College and Convent in San Antonio, Texas.
On January 01, 1942, he became Chaplain of the Carmelite Sisters Monastery in San Diego, California.
Although John was by now around 78 years old he was still moving around a lot from one place to the next, and on Saturday, January 01, 1944, he was assigned to St. Peters Novitiate, Mission, Texas. However he was to travel back to San Diego in June of the same year as it was now his 50th year in the priesthood and his Golden Sacerdotal Mass was being held at Carmel of the Trinity in San Diego on June 07, in the presence of His Excellency, Bishop Charles Buddy, of San Diego, California.
John's very last appointment was back at Moye Military Academy, before he fell ill and took his last breath on January 09, 1946, at Santa Rosa Hospital, San Antonio, Texas.
He was buried in the Oblate Cemetery, San Antonio, Row A, No 16, aged 81 years old.
His father and mother was Paul Whelan and Bridget Golden.
As a young boy he attended the National Irish schools before moving on to the Irish Christian Brothers school in Armagh.
After leaving the school in Armagh he enrolled at St. Joseph's College in Cork, to study his classical course .
Around 1887 John met a gentleman by the name of James Marie McGuckin. James, a native of Cooleystown in Northern Ireland, had been a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate for many years and was back in Ireland on a trip when he had come across John and invited him to accompany him back to Canada.
John arrived in Canada in 1887 and entered the Oblate Novitiate at Lachine near Montreal on October 16. He was professed on October 17 1888.
After completion of a term at Lachine he was transferred to St. Joseph's Scholasticate in Ottawa, where he completed his final vows on Sunday, November 10, 1889.
In 1890 straight after completing his vows John was assigned to St. Louis College in New Westminster, British Columbia to teach.
On the 1891 British Columbia census, John was living in in the household of Bishop Paul Durieu as a Teacher.
It would be three years later on Sunday, May 27, 1894, at St. Peters Cathedral, New Westminster, British Columbia, that John was ordained by the Most Rev, Bishop Paul Durieu.
Bishop Paul Durieu was the first Bishop of New Westminster.
After his Ordination, John was assigned to Mission City and New Westminster. He spent two years between the two before being assigned to the Holy Rosary Church in Vancouver, B.C. It was during this period that a new stately stone church replaced the framed building. It was the only Catholic church at that time in Vancouver City.
On the 08 October, 1901, John's brother William Bernard Whelan, who was also a priest of the OMI, passed away in Ottawa. John officiated at the funeral, which saw Archbishop Joseph-Thomas Duhamel bless William's mortal remains.
John made a brief visit to Buffalo, New York, before moving on.
On January 01, 1902, John was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish Church in Del Rio, Texas, as the new Pastor. This new assignment to Texas would see John leave behind Canada and spend the better part of the next 44 years in various parts of the Lone Star State.
After Sixteen years of service at Sacred Heart Church, on Saturday, August 24, 1918, John was appointed Assistant Pastor at St. Mary's Church, San Antonio, Texas.
In 1926 John was briefly transferred to St. John the Baptist in Dawson, New Mexico, before being appointed as the new Pastor of the Holy Family Church, Roy, New Mexico, on Tuesday, November 29, 1927.
At the age of 74 having spent the last Eleven years in Roy, John became the Chaplain of Moye Military Academy in Castoville, Texas, on January 01, 1938.
A couple of years later and still going strong John had a brief stint as Chaplain of Our Lady of the Lake College and Convent in San Antonio, Texas.
On January 01, 1942, he became Chaplain of the Carmelite Sisters Monastery in San Diego, California.
Although John was by now around 78 years old he was still moving around a lot from one place to the next, and on Saturday, January 01, 1944, he was assigned to St. Peters Novitiate, Mission, Texas. However he was to travel back to San Diego in June of the same year as it was now his 50th year in the priesthood and his Golden Sacerdotal Mass was being held at Carmel of the Trinity in San Diego on June 07, in the presence of His Excellency, Bishop Charles Buddy, of San Diego, California.
John's very last appointment was back at Moye Military Academy, before he fell ill and took his last breath on January 09, 1946, at Santa Rosa Hospital, San Antonio, Texas.
He was buried in the Oblate Cemetery, San Antonio, Row A, No 16, aged 81 years old.